Leased Solar and a New Roof
If you signed a lease or a power purchase agreement, the array on your roof belongs to someone else. That changes this from a scheduling question into a permission question, and it is the single most common reason these projects stall.
Start here, before you book a roofer
- Find your agreement and identify the current owner of the system — it may have been sold on since you signed
- Look for the clause covering roof work, panel removal or relocation
- Contact them in writing and ask for their R&R process, their fee, and their required lead time
- Ask whether they require their own contractor to handle the panels, which many do
- Ask in writing what happens to the warranty if their contractor is not used
What usually comes back
Most leasing companies and PPA providers have a defined remove-and-reinstall process, a fee for it, and a lead time measured in weeks rather than days. Some insist on their own crews; some authorise a third party subject to conditions.
None of this is unreasonable. All of it takes longer than you expect, which is why it has to start before the roof is urgent.
How we work around it
Where the system owner handles the panels themselves, we coordinate directly with their scheduler so the roof is ready when their crew arrives and the array is back on without the roof sitting exposed. Where they authorise us, we handle it under one contract.
What we will not do is touch a leased array without the owner's written authorisation. That is your contract and your exposure, not ours to assume.
The timing trap
A leaking roof in January plus a four-to-six-week lease-holder approval process is the worst version of this. If your roof is approaching end of life and you have a leased array, start the permission conversation now, while the roof is merely old rather than failing.
Common questions
Can I replace my roof if my solar panels are leased?
Yes, but the system owner has to authorise the removal, and many require their own contractor to handle the array. Find your agreement, contact the current owner in writing, and ask for their process, fee and lead time before scheduling the roof.
Who pays for removing leased panels for a roof replacement?
That depends on your agreement — most put the cost on the homeowner, and many charge a fee for the service. Get the figure in writing from the system owner before you budget the roof.